IF you’ve ever wondered what happens if you cross an 890 Duke with an 890 Adventure, wonder no more. Austrian brand KTM is working on just such a bike, as KTM 890 Adventure S is in development.
The bike seems to blend the best bits of KTM’s class-leading middleweight adventure bike, with the sporty stance and wheel set up of the 890 Duke R. Whether or not it will land officially be called an 890 Adventure S of GT is still unknown, it’s clear from the outset though, this will be a very different machine to ride.
Aesthetically, the new features a revised and more expansive front end, with a larger front fairing opening that seems to show more of the bike’s radiator. The more road-biased machine also loses its beak, instead it's wearing a low-level front mudguard as found on the 890 Duke naked.
The new bike places KTM in an interesting place in the market, seeing it take on the hoard of long-legged yet road-focused adventure motorcycles like the Yamaha Tracer 900 and Niken, BMW F900XR, and Ducati Multistrada. It’s a prospect made all the more interesting when you consider that KTM is already working on an 890 Duke GT, a kind of baby Super Duke GT for the masses. This inter-manufacturer battle of sporty tourers will be an interesting one to follow. With adventure-style motorcycles being the way many consumers are going when looking for a true all-rounder, it’ll be fascinating to see how well the proposed 890 GT holds up against its long-legged sibling.
